We believe in the persuasive power of typography to give clarity to ideas and help messages communicate.
By studying Graphic Communication with Typography, you'll learn how to develop innovative ideas and concepts in response to design briefs, as well as how to solve design problems using words and typography. We know that employers place great emphasis on graduates having typographic knowledge, and believe good graphic communication relies on the important relationship between type and imagery. Or maybe type can be the image?
But we also believe in something else. We believe in you.
We'll encourage you to work in highly creative, experimental ways and to have fun with ideas. We'll want you to develop a distinct means you get noticed.
You'll be supported on your journey by experienced, committed tutors who are passionate about design. You'll work hard and need to be determined and passionate too! The rewards of working in a dynamic and bouyant industry, nationally or internationally are significant. Are you prepared for the challenge?
Our current students seem to like our way of doing things. For two years in a row, the course has scored 100% overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey.
In the final year you can choose a study option relating to an area of the design industry where students commonly find work.
Identity and Branding
You may want to work in the wide ranging and exciting world of branding and visual identity, working with design consultancies, advertising agencies, marketing, communication and branding consultants on brand invention/design, packaging and promotion.
Editorial and Publishing
You could work in the rapidly changing world of editorial and publishing, as editorial designers with publishers and communications agencies on magazines, journals, newspapers and books, for both printed and screen based formats (such as the iPad).
Information Design
You can work as a designer of information, where words, numbers, imagery and vision combine to enhance data and communicate messages in exciting and functional ways - pictograms, symbols, icons, signs, graphs, charts and maps for interpretive/museum exhibitions, environmental installations and interactive interfaces.
Our students win national and international competitions. In the past three years:
- Design and Art Direction
- D&AD New Blood winner
- Royal Society of Arts
- RSA Student Design Awards finalists
- International Society of Typographic Designers
- ISTD memberships (including three merits)
Our students have also worked on many live briefs for organisations including:
- The Science Museum, London
- Tamar Estuary Project
- The Publishers Association
- Plymouth City Council for Healthcare Science in Higher Education
As a student on Graphic Communication with Typography, you can explore our range of printmaking workshops - etching, lithography and silkscreen. Alongside these, you'll have access to professional photographic studios and Apple Mac workstations. The University also has one of the best letterpress workshops in the UK. Here is a video all about it:
Our open plan design studios are in the fantastic Roland Levinsky building with spectacular 360 degree views of the Devon coastline, Dartmoor, the city of Plymouth and the Tamar estuary. You will work and study in the heart of a city that has recently hosted the Americas Cup and British Art Show. Each year the city hosts an International Book Fair and also the National Fireworks Competition.
Student accommodation is on the doorstep, as are the City Museum, galleries, restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. Stunning beaches are just a stones throw away and then there is the countryside of Devon and Cornwall!
To help you be a better designer our Design Research modules will encourage you to think critically and grow your knowledge and understanding of graphic communication. There are study visits, conferences and exhibitions. In the past this has included the Venice Biennale, 4 Designers London and D&AD New Blood. You can also take part in an international exchange programme.
Our visiting lecturer programme has included prestigious names from the world of graphic communication - to name but a few:
- Angus Hyland (Pentagram)
- Hans Dieter Riechert (Baseline Magazine)
- Dominic Lippa (Lippa Pearce)
- Michael Johnson (Johnson Banks)
- Rob O'Connor (Stylorouge)
Those who teach you are designers, writers and researchers in their fields. As members of the Message research group, their research and consultancy informs their teaching and has an impact on your learning.
Being a graphic communicator can be a dream job. The course has enabled students to get work as designers in great places, locally, nationally and internationally. Check out some of these
- Fuel Communications (Plymouth)
- Bluestone360 (Plymouth)
- Toucan Design (Exeter)
- Epoch Design (Bristol)
- Taxi Studios (Bristol)
- E3 Media (Bristol)
- Guitarist Magazine (Bath)
- DNA Advertising (Torquay)
- Bray Leino (Barnstaple)
- Palgrave MacMillan UK (Basingstoke)
- Pearlfisher (London)
- Webb & Webb (London)
- Spencer duBois (London)
- Church of London (London)
- Here Design (London)
- The Times Newspaper (London)
- Design Bridge (Holland)
- Snask (Sweden)
The course has also helped students go places through its network of industry links. Option modules allow for work placement during year two, and year three includes an industrial liaison day where students pitch their portfolios to teams of professional working designers!
Studying on Graphic Communication with Typography at Plymouth University puts you in great stead for a bright and successful career within the creative industries.
Are you ready? Find out more about the course and how to apply using the links at the top of this page
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